Single serving package

ABSTRACT

A container or package which is particularly adapted for disposable single use in the packaging of products such as, for example, food, where the container may be filled with a portion of the product suitable for a single serving and capable of being consumed from the package. The container is formed from a single paperboard blank which is cut and scored so that it may be folded into a cup-like, or dish-like, body shape which is leakproof and which has an edge flange or margin to which the margins of a cover film may be secured.

United States Patent 1 Arneson Oct. 23, 1973 [73] Assignee: Federal Paper Board Company, 1nc.,

Montvale, NJ.

[22] Filed: Apr. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 133,685

[52] US. Cl. 229/31, 229/15 B, 229/25 I Att0rney-Guy A. Greenawalt 11' A container or package which is particularly adapted for disposable single use in the packaging of products 2,234,397 3/1941 Benitz 229/1.5 B UX 2,242,684 5/1941 Stuart 229/2.5 X 1,735,219 11/1929 Steele et al. 229/2.5 X 2,041,537 5/1936 Frost 229/2.5 X

Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead and James T.

FitzGibbon ABSTRACT be folded into a cup-like, or dish-like, body shape which is leakproof and which has an edge flange or margin to which the margins of a cover film may be secured.

1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures [51] Int. Cl 365d 5/24, B65d 3/00 [58] Field of Search 229/31, 1.5 B, 1.5 H,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,552,051 5/1951 Margulies 229/l.5 B 2,407,118 9/1946 7 Waters..... 229/31 X 2,763,421 9/1956 Bennett.... 229/25 184,322 11/1876 Benham... 229/25 202,999 4/1878 Crane 229/25 "1,122,614 12/1914 Kraus 229/15 B mimtnumams 3.161.108

I SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOR EDWIN L. ARNESON ATT'YS.

SINGLE SERVING PACKAGE This invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a package, and a container therfore, which is formed of foldable sheet material and which is especially adapted for use in the marketing of various items, such as, for example, food products, or the like.

Many different types and designs of containers have been developed for packaging food products and the like in order to meet the needs of particular markets. Recently there has developed a need for better packaging units in the single serving package market. In the packaging of food products in relatively small portions, such as, for single servings, paper cups and tubs or plastic cups and tubs have generally been resorted to as suitable containers, particularly where it is desired to package small quantities of a product which may be consumed directly from the package and the empty container discarded. Many of the containers available are not particularly adapted for use in this kind of a package either because of their shape, physical characteristics or cost of manufacture, handling or the like. It is a general object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a package or a container for forming the same which is particularly adapted for use in the single serving" package market, which can be manufactured in large quantities from relatively inexpensive paperboard or similar foldable sheet materials and which can be made sufficiently attractive so as to be aesthetically acceptable to a large number of potential users.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a package employinga container which is particularly adapted for foods and similar products, in relatively small quantities, so that they may be consumed directly from the package, which will present a neat and attractive appearance when filled with the product, which can be supplied at sufficiently low cost to justify discarding after a single use and which is readily adaptable to formation, filling and closing by machinery of relatively simple design. I

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a pack age employing a container which is adapted to be formed of a single sheet of paperboard or similar material, cut and folded so as to have the form of a dish or bowl which can be made sufficiently attractive for serving food and which is adapted to receive a closure film or membrane sheet which may be readily removable to provide access to the contents of the package.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for packaging products which is formed from a single sheet of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material wherein the sheet is cut and folded so as to form a bowl-like container with gusseted side wall seams and a marginal flange formation enabling the container to be filled to the brim with a liquid product without leakage at the seams and to be readily closed by the appli-- cation of a cover sheet, of either transparent or opaque material, with its margins secured to the flange formation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container of paperboard or similar material which is formed from a single blank cut and scored to provide a bowl-like shape with gusseted side wall seams and a marginal flange formation adapted to receive the margins of a cover sheet wherein the walls and flange are formed so that the material is curved and placed under stress thereby resulting in a container with greatly increased rigidity for the weight or caliper of the stock material employed in the blank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for forming a package which is fabricated from a single sheet or blank of paperboard or similar material, with the blank being cut and folded so as to have the form of a cup or bowl with gusseted side wall portions which render the container wall leakproof and with a top marginal rim formation which lends rigidity to the container and enables it to be readily closed by application of a cover member with its margins engaging the rim formation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container for packaging products of the type described wherein the bottom wall forming panel has a perimeter defined by straight hinge lines and upwardly bowed score lines are provided in side wall forming panel portions adjoining the hinge lines connecting the bottom wall forming panel and the side wall forming panel portions resulting in planar panels at the bottom of the side wall which merge into curved side wall panel portions, with the latter extending to a curved top edge.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the several forms of package which are shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package having a bowl-shaped body of generally round configuration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a paperboard blank cut and scored to provide the container which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the container which is of generally elliptical shape;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the container shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a paperboard blank cut and scored to provide the container shown in FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a further modified form of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the container of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a paperboard blank cut and scored preparatory to forming the container of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a cross section taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a paperboard blank cut and scored to provide a modified form of the container of FIG. 8, the container having an elliptical configuration.

In each of the packages and containers illustrated in the drawings, a bowl-like container body is provided which is fabricated from a single paperboard blank. In each form thereof illustrated the container, which is adapted to be filled with the product to be packaged, has a bottom wall and upwardly and outwardly tapering side wall portions terminating at an outwardly extending, marginal flange or rim formation, enabling the adhering thereto of the margins of a closure or cover sheet or membrane which may be a plastic film, transparent or opaque, for enclosing the product therein.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is illustrated a package embodying the invention which comprises a container 10 having the shape of a bowl with an upwardly and outwardly tapering side wall 1 1 terminating at a top marginal flange 12 which extends outwardly and slants downwardly for receiving the marginal portions of a cover member 13. The cover margins are secured on the flange 12 so as to enclose a product in the container 10.

The container is formed from the blank 15 which is cut and scored as illustrated in FIG. 4. The blank 15 is formed from a square sheet of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material of suitable gauge, weight or caliper for the size of the container and/or the weight of the product being packaged. A circular score 16 is provided in the center of blank 15 which circumscribes a bottom wall panel 17 and constitutes a bottom edge forming hinge line. Four radially extending score lines l8, l8 and 18', 18' which are spaced 90 apart about the circular score line 16, extend outwardly therefrom in paired relation to top edge forming score lines 20, 20 which are formed on a radius which is longer than the radius of the circular score line 16 by an amount which will provide the desired side wall depth dimension. The score lines 20, 20' extend between outer portions of the pairs of radial lines 18, 18 and 18, 18 on oppositely disposed sides of the bottom wall forming panel 17 and these lines, together with portions 21, 21' of line 16, define side wall forming panel portions 22, 22'. The blank is provided with a further set of score lines 23, 23 and 23', 23' and these lines extend, in paired relation, each from a point where the associated radial lines l8, l8, and 18', 18' intersect the circular line 16 at an acute angle to the associated lines 18, 18, 18', 18' and in an outward direction, to score lines 24, 24 which are on the same radius as the score lines 20, 20' and which are adapted to form, when the blank is folded, the portion of the top edge of the container 10 between top edge portions formed by the score lines 20, 20'. The score lines 23, 23', 24 form with portion 25 of the circular score line 16 a side wall forming panel portion 26 while the score lines 23, 23', 24' form with portion 25' of the circular score line 16 a side wall forming panel portion 26'. Adjacent ends of the circular or curved score lines 20, 20' and 24, 24' are disposed at the ends of cutting lines 27, 27, and 27', 27 which form the inner edges of notched out corner areas 28, 28 and 28', 28'. These areas are disposed at the outer ends of the triangular web formations or gusset panels 30, 30 and 30', 30' which are defined by the four pairs ofscore lines 18, 23; 18, 23; 18, 23'; 18', 23' and the associated cutting lines 27, 27, 27, 27', respectively. The four corners of the blank 15 are cut away on the lines 31, 31, 31', 31 leaving pairs of flange forming panels 32, 32' and 33, 33' extending between the notched out areas 28, 28; 28', 28' and 28, 28'; 28, 28 and outwardly of the pairs of top edge forming score lines 20, 20' and 24, 24'.

In setting up or forming the container the inside face of the blank 15 is coated with a heat scalable material if an uncoated stock material is employed. A stock material may be employed which is precoated with a suitable adhesive substance. The blank may be conveniently folded on a punch and die type folding machine of relatively simple design so as to bring the web-like panels 30, 30, 30', 30' against the end margins of the outside faces of the side wall panels 22, 22 and the adjacent inside end marginal portions of the panels 26 and 26', where they are concealed while forming leakproof gusset seams connecting the erected side wall forming panel portions in the set up position of the container. The flange forming marginal panels 32, 32' and 33, 33' are folded outwardly and downwardly with adjacent end marginal portions overlapped and secured together so as to form a continuous, outwardly and downwardly slanted or tapering flange 12 extending about the entire periphery of the top edge of container 10.

The container thus formed has the shape of a bowl with circular top and bottom edges and with gusseted side wall seams so that it may be filled with a product in either a dry or wet state to the top edge without any leakage at the side wall seams and thereafter closed by the application of a closure sheet or membrane 13 with the margins heat sealed to the exposed top faces of the flange formation 12. The resulting package is leakproof up to the overflow point since the structure is webbed or gusseted. It has an extremely high degree of rigidity for the caliper of paperboard employed due to the fact that throughout the paperboard is curved and held under stress.

A modified form of the container is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein the container 60 is elongated with top and bottom edges of the upwardly and outwardly tapering side wall 61 being of approximately elliptical or oval shape and with an outwardly and downwardly turned top edge flange or rim 62 on which the margins of a cover sheet (not shown) may be secured.

The blank 65 is scored on an approximately elliptical or oval line 66 in the center portion thereof which circumscribes a bottom wall panel 67. Score lines 68, 68 and 68', 68' extend outwardly from the score line 66 in paired relation to top edge forming score lines 70, 70 which are formed on a radius longer than the radius of the portions 71, 71' of the score line 66 with which they co-operate to form side wall forming panels 76, 76'. The score lines 68, 68 and 68', 68 extend radially with respect to the portions 71, 71' of the score line 66 and the difference in the radius for the inner score line portions 71, 71' and for the outer score line portions 70, 70' will depend upon the desired side wall depth dimension. Further non-radial score lines 73, 73 and 73', 73' extend, in paired relation, from a point where the associated score lines 68, 68 and 68, 68 intersect the score line 66, outwardly at an acute angle to the associated score lines 68, 68 and 68', 68', and terminate at the ends of outer score lines 74, 74. The latter are circular segments approximately parallel with the circular segments 75, 75' which form the longer side portions of the score line 66. The outer score lines 74, 74 are on a radius longer than the radius for the inner score line portions 75, 75' by an amount which will be determined by the desired side wall depth dimension. The score lines 73, 73,74, 75 and 73', 73, 74', 75' define side wall forming panel portions 76, 76'. Adjacent ends of the outer curved score lines 70, 70' and 74, 74' are disposed at the ends of cutting lines 77, 77' and 77, 77 which form the inner edges of notched out corner areas 78, 78 and 78', 78. These areas are at the outer ends of triangular web or gusset formations 80, 80 and 80', 80' which are defined between the pairs of score lines 68, 73; 68, 73 and 68', 73';68', 73 and the associated cutting lines 77, 77 and 77, 77. The four corners of the blank 65 are cut away on the lines 81, 81, 81, 81' leaving pairs of narrow flange forming panels 82, 82 and 83, 83 extending between the notched out corner areas and outwardly of the score lines 70, 70 and 74, 74.

The blank 65 is set up to form the container 60 in the same manner as described with reference to forming of container with the blank 15. The gusset forming webs 80, 80, 80', 80 are adhered between overlapped end marginal portions of the side wall panels 72, 72', 76, 76'. The adjacent ends of the flange portions 82, 82' and 83, 83' are overlapped and sealed so as to provide a top surface for adhering thereto the margins of a cover sheet (not shown), when the container is filled with a product, to complete the package.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 there is illustrated a modified form of the container illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. Only so much of the modified container will be described as is necessary to understand the difference in structure over the container 10. Items corresponding to those shown in the blank will be identified by the same numeral plus 100. The container body 110 is provided with a bottom having its edges defined by straight lines forming a square configuration and an upwardly slanted or tapered side wall formation 111 whichextends to a circular top edge with an outwardly extending, downwardly slanted top flange or rim formation 112.

The container 110 is fabricated from a blank 115 which is cut and scored as shown in FIG. 10. The blank 115 is formed from a square sheet of stock material which is cut and scored the same as the blank 115 except for the addition of straight score lines 150, 150' and 151, 151' which form a square configuration within a circular score line 116 in the center of the, blank and which constitute bottom edges when the container is set up. The corners of the square coincide with the points of intersection of the radial lines 118, 118, 118, 118' and the circular score line 116. The score lines 150, 150 and 151, 151 define the bottom edges of the container bottom 117 and with the portions 121, 121' and 125, 125 of the circular score line 116 define small panels 152, 152' and 153, 153' which extend into the associated side wall panel portions 122, 122' and 126, 126 and which, in the set up condition of the container, form planar side wall panel portions adjoining the hinge connection of the side wall panel portions with the bottom wall panel, while the remainder of the side wall panel portions which extend to the circular segments 120, 120', 124, 124' forming the top edge of the container are of outwardly bowed or curved configuration. The provision of the flat panel portions 152, 152, 153, 153' adjoining the bottom hinge lines permits the bottom panel 117 to remain flat when the container is set up and also provides a more uniform side wall structure. The blank is cut to provide marginal panels for forming the outwardly directed flange 112 but other rim formations may be employed, such as a rolled rim, on which a closure member may be seated and frictionally held thereon or otherwise secured to close the top of the container.

In FIG. 12 there is illustrated a blank which is cut and scored for fabricating a modified form of the container which is illustrated at 60 in FIGS. 5 and 6. To simplify the description, where the elements duplicate those employed in the blank 65 they will be referred to by the same number plus 100. The blank is generally rectangular and is cut and scored in the same manner as the blank 65 with the addition of the straight score lines 155, 155, 156, 156 which form a rectangular configuration in the center of the blank with the corners thereof coinciding with the points of intersection of the radial score lines 168, 168, 168', 168. The score lines 155, 155', 156, 156' co-operate with the circular segments 171, 171, 175, 175' of the inner, generally elliptical score line to define panels 157, 157', 158, 158 which extend from the edges of the bottom forming panel 167, defined by the straight score lines, into the side wall forming panel portions 172, 172 176, 176' and form flat panels at the bottom of the latter when the container is set up in the same manner as described with reference to the other forms of the container.

I claim:

1. A container having the general shape of a bowl which is fabricated from a single blank of flexible paperboard material, said blank being cut and scored to provide in the set-up container a bottom wall forming panel and a plurality of upwardly and outwardly slanted side wall forming panel portions which are integrally connected to the bottom wall forming panel on straight hinge lines defining the perimeter of said bottom wall forming panel, each said side wall forming panel portion having an upwardly bowed score line at the bottom which provides a flat surface bottom side wall panel area which extends a relatively short distance above said hinged connection with the bottom wall forming panel and merges into the curved top area of said panel portion, said side wall forming panel portions being connected to each other at adjoining ends by integral triangular web portions, each of said web portions being connected to the end edges of a pair of side wall forming panel portions on hinge lines which form an outwardly opening V configuration, said web portions each extending from the hinge line along which the associated side wall forming panels are connected to the bottom wall forming panel to the top edges of said side wall forming panels and terminating at said top edges, said web portions being folded and secured between overlapping end margins of said pair of side wall forming panel portions, said side wall forming panel portions each having at the top edge a relatively narrow out-turned rim forming member which is hingedly connected to the top edge thereof, said rim forming members each having an end section which is overlapped and adhered to a like section of an adjoining rim forming member so as to form a relatively narrow continuous top edge reinforcing rim thereon which is outwardly and downwardly inclined, with said side wall forming portions and said rim forming portions both having continuous curved surfaces extending in the direction around the perimeter of said container and which are held under stress thereby imparting substantial rigidity to the container. 

1. A container having the general shape of a bowl which is fabricated from a single blank of flexible paperboard material, saiD blank being cut and scored to provide in the set-up container a bottom wall forming panel and a plurality of upwardly and outwardly slanted side wall forming panel portions which are integrally connected to the bottom wall forming panel on straight hinge lines defining the perimeter of said bottom wall forming panel, each said side wall forming panel portion having an upwardly bowed score line at the bottom which provides a flat surface bottom side wall panel area which extends a relatively short distance above said hinged connection with the bottom wall forming panel and merges into the curved top area of said panel portion, said side wall forming panel portions being connected to each other at adjoining ends by integral triangular web portions, each of said web portions being connected to the end edges of a pair of side wall forming panel portions on hinge lines which form an outwardly opening V configuration, said web portions each extending from the hinge line along which the associated side wall forming panels are connected to the bottom wall forming panel to the top edges of said side wall forming panels and terminating at said top edges, said web portions being folded and secured between overlapping end margins of said pair of side wall forming panel portions, said side wall forming panel portions each having at the top edge a relatively narrow out-turned rim forming member which is hingedly connected to the top edge thereof, said rim forming members each having an end section which is overlapped and adhered to a like section of an adjoining rim forming member so as to form a relatively narrow continuous top edge reinforcing rim thereon which is outwardly and downwardly inclined, with said side wall forming portions and said rim forming portions both having continuous curved surfaces extending in the direction around the perimeter of said container and which are held under stress thereby imparting substantial rigidity to the container. 